Canon
Where to start with Shostakovich
Essential works to know this composer by — spread across their styles-
OrchestralPiano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, for piano, trumpet, and strings, op. 35
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ChamberString Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110
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Keyboard24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87
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StageLady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, op. 29 — Opera
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Vocal10 Poems on Texts by Revolutionary Poets, for chorus and boys' chorus a cappella, op. 88
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OrchestralSymphony no. 5 in D minor, op. 47
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OrchestralSymphony no. 7 in C major, op. 60, "Leningrad"
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OrchestralSymphony no. 8 in C minor, op. 65, "Stalingrad"
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OrchestralJazz Suite no. 1
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OrchestralCello Concerto no. 1 in E flat major, op. 107
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ChamberPiano Quintet in G minor, op. 57
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ChamberPiano Trio no. 2 in E minor, op. 67
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OrchestralSymphony no. 10 in E minor, op. 93
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OrchestralSymphony no. 14, for soprano, bass, string orchestra, and percussion, op. 135
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OrchestralViolin Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 77
Listening guide
Hand-curated paths into Shostakovich's catalogueMost Popular
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Symphony No. 5 in D minor, Op. 47
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Piano Concerto No. 1 in C minor, Op. 35with trumpet soloist
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String Quartet No. 8 in C minor, Op. 110
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Piano Quintet in G minor, Op. 57
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Jazz Suite No. 2 — Second Waltz
Most Acclaimed
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24 Preludes and Fugues, Op. 87his Well-Tempered Clavier
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Symphony No. 10 in E minor
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String Quartet No. 15 in E♭ minor, Op. 144six adagio movements — all slow, all dark
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Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk Districtopera — so scandalous Stalin banned it at a performance
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Piano Trio No. 2 in E minor, Op. 67
Most Weird
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Piano Sonata No. 2 in B minorsingle movement, his most experimental solo piano piece
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Viola Sonata, Op. 147his last work — finale quotes Beethoven’s Moonlight while dying
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String Quartet No. 13 in B♭ minor, Op. 138viola solo opens it — almost unbearable
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From Jewish Folk Poetry, Op. 79setting folk songs under Stalin’s anti-Semitic campaign — coded protest
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String Quartet No. 15six consecutive adagios — structurally unprecedented
Similar composers
Same era, overlapping styles — by genre & period affinityWorks 164
- Orchestral
- ● Piano Concerto no. 1 in C minor, for piano, trumpet, and strings, op. 35
- ● Symphony no. 5 in D minor, op. 47
- ● Symphony no. 7 in C major, op. 60, "Leningrad"
- ● Symphony no. 8 in C minor, op. 65, "Stalingrad"
- ● Jazz Suite no. 1
- Cello Concerto no. 1 in E flat major, op. 107
- Symphony no. 10 in E minor, op. 93
- Symphony no. 14, for soprano, bass, string orchestra, and percussion, op. 135
- Violin Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 77
- 2 Pieces for E. Dressel's 'Kolumbus', op. 23
- Ballet Suite no. 1
- Ballet Suite no. 2
- Ballet Suite no. 3
- Ballet Suite no. 4
- Cello Concerto no. 2 in G major, op. 126
- Chamber Symphony, op. 110b
- Cherry Trees, op. 105 — Suite from the operetta
- Festive Overture, op. 96
- Five Days - Five Nights Op.111a
- Hamlet, incidental music, op. 32
- Hamlet, op. 32a
- Jazz Suite no. 2
- Katerina Izmaylova, op. 114a — Suite from the opera
- King Lear, incidental music, op. 58a
- Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, op. 29a — Suite from the opera
- March of the Soviet Militia, for wind band, op. 139
- Maxim Suite, op. 50a
- Mournful-Triumphal Prelude in Memory of the Heroes of Stalingrad, op. 130
- Native Leningrad, suite, op. 63
- Novorossisk Chimes
- October, op. 131
- Overture on Russian and Khirghiz Folksongs, op. 115
- Piano Concerto no. 2 in F major, op. 102
- Pirogov, op. 76a
- Prelude in E flat minor, for orchestra
- Rule, Britannia!, incidental music, op. 28
- Russian River, incidental music to spectacle, op. 66
- Salute to Spain, incidental music, op. 44
- Symphony no. 1 in F minor, op. 10
- Symphony no. 11 in G minor, op. 103, "The Year 1905"
- Symphony no. 12 in D minor, op. 112, "The Year 1917"
- Symphony no. 13 in B flat minor, op. 113, "Babi Yar"
- Symphony no. 15 in A major, op. 141
- Symphony no. 2 in B flat major, op. 14, "To October"
- Symphony no. 3 in E flat major, op. 20, "The First of May"
- Symphony no. 4 in C minor, op. 43
- Symphony no. 6 in B minor, op. 54
- Symphony no. 9 in E flat major, op. 70
- The Adventures of Korzinkina, op. 59a
- The Age of Gold, op. 22a — Suite from the ballet
- The Bolt, op. 27a — Suite from the ballet
- The First Echelon, op. 99a — Suite from the film score
- The Flea, incidental music, op. 19
- The Flea, op. 19a
- The Gadfly, op. 97a
- The Golden Hills, op. 30a
- The Nose Op.15a — Suite from the opera
- The Second Waltz, for orchestra
- The Tale of the Priest and His Servant Balda, op. 36a
- The Unforgettable Year 1919 Op.89a
- Violin Concerto no. 1 in A minor, op. 77
- Violin Concerto no. 2 in C sharp minor, op. 129
- Chamber
- ● String Quartet no. 8 in C minor, op. 110
- Piano Quintet in G minor, op. 57
- Piano Trio no. 2 in E minor, op. 67
- 2 Pieces for Double String Quartet, op. 11
- 2 Pieces for String Quartet
- 5 Pieces for 2 Violins and Piano
- Adagio and Allegretto, for string quartet
- Cello Sonata, op. 40
- Piano Trio no. 1 in C minor, op. 8
- String Quartet no. 1 in C major, op. 49
- String Quartet no. 10 in A flat major, op. 118
- String Quartet no. 11 in F minor, op. 122
- String Quartet no. 12 in D flat major, op. 133
- String Quartet no. 13 in B flat minor, op. 138
- String Quartet no. 14 in F sharp major, op. 142
- String Quartet no. 15 in E flat minor, op. 144
- String Quartet no. 2 in A major, op. 68
- String Quartet no. 3 in F major, op. 73
- String Quartet no. 4 in D major, op. 83
- String Quartet no. 5 in B flat major, op. 92
- String Quartet no. 6 in G major, op. 101
- String Quartet no. 7 in F sharp minor, op. 108
- String Quartet no. 9 in E flat major, op. 117
- Two Pieces by D.Scarlatti for wind orchestra, op. 17
- Viola Sonata, op. 147
- Violin Sonata, op. 134
- Keyboard
- 24 Preludes and Fugues, op. 87
- 24 Preludes, op. 34
- 3 Danses fantastiques, op. 5
- 3 Early Piano Pieces
- 8 Preludes, op. 2
- A Child's Excercise Book, op. 69
- Aphorisms, op. 13
- Concertino for 2 Pianos, op. 94
- Merry March, for 2 pianos
- Murzilka
- Piano Sonata no. 1, op. 12
- Piano Sonata no. 2 in B minor, op. 61
- Suite for 2 Pianos in F sharp minor, op. 6
- Stage
- Lady Macbeth of the Mtsensk District, op. 29 — Opera
- Alone, op. 26
- Antiformal Rayok, for 4 basses, speaker, chorus and piano
- Conditionally Killed, music hall revue
- Counterplan, op. 33
- Encounter at the Elbe, op. 80
- Five Days - Five Nights, op. 111
- Hamlet, op. 116
- Katerina Izmaylova, op. 114 — Opera
- King Lear, film score, op. 137
- Michurin, op. 78, "Life in Bloom"
- Moscow, Cheryomushki, op. 105
- New Babylon, film score for live performance with silent film, op. 18
- Pirogov, op. 76
- Prologue to Orango
- Sofia Perovskaya, op. 132
- Song of the Great Rivers, op. 95
- The Age of Gold, op.22 — Ballet
- The Big Lightning
- The Bolt, op. 27 — Ballet
- The Fall of Berlin, op. 82
- The First Echelon, op. 99
- The First Train
- The Gadfly, op. 97
- The Gamblers, for 6 male voices and orchestra — Opera
- The Girl Friends, for trumpet, string quartet and piano, op. 41ii
- The Golden Hills, op. 30
- The Great Citizen, Part 2, op. 55
- The Limpid Stream, op. 39 — Ballet
- The Man with a Gun, op. 53
- The Nose Op.15 — Opera
- The Return of Maxim, op. 45
- The Silly Little Mouse, op. 56
- The Tale of the Priest and His Servant Balda, op. 36
- The Vyborg District, op. 50
- The Youth of Maxim, op. 41i
- Volochayevka Days, op. 48
- Zoya
- Vocal
- 10 Poems on Texts by Revolutionary Poets, for chorus and boys' chorus a cappella, op. 88
- 2 Fables, for mezzo-soprano and orchestra, op. 4
- 2 Ritual Russian Folk Songs
- 2 Romances, for voice and piano, op. 84
- 4 Monologues, for voice and piano, op. 91
- 4 Romances on Poems by Pushkin, op. 46
- 4 Songs on verses by Dolmatovsky, for voice, wordless chorus and piano, op. 86
- 4 Verses of Captain Lebyadkin, op. 146
- 5 Songs from the Journal 'Krokodil', op. 121
- 6 Poems of Marina Tsvetayeva, for contralto and orchestra, op. 143
- 6 Romances on Verses by English Poets, for bass and small orchestra, op. 140
- 6 Romances to verses by English poets, for bass and piano, op. 62
- 6 Songs on Verses by Japanese Poets, op. 21
- 6 Spanish Songs, for soprano and piano, op. 100
- Brave New World, for chorus
- From Jewish Folk Poetry, op. 79
- Greek Songs, for voice and piano
- Preface to the Complete Collection of My Work and Thoughts, op. 123
- Spring, Spring, song for bass and piano, op. 128
- Suite on Finnish Themes, for soprano, tenor and chamber ensemble
- Suite on Verses of Michelangelo, for bass and piano, op. 145
- The Sun Shines on Our Motherland, for child chorus, chorus and orchestra, op. 90 — Cantata
- United Nations on the March, song
- Victorious Spring, incidental music, op. 72
- We Had Kisses, romance for voice and piano